drove my first american car today
 

So I wanted to drive a 'Vette. I went down to the dealership and they gave me no problems. Very nice service and nice people.



So let me start out w/ what I like:


- I love the power. It is great and the sound is so much different than my car. Very throaty sound.

- I love the clutch operation and mechanical feel. My car's clutch is hydraulically assisted so there is not much feel.

- Gains traction very quickly when flooring it in first.

- I love the crappy interior. Means the car is not weighed down by useless junk.

- Comfortable seating.




Now for what I am not sure about....


- I can't even tell what gear I'm in sometimes. The gears are so scrunched together on the H pad that 4th seems exactly like 6th and 5th seems exactly like 3rd. It was hard to pick what direction to move the shifter.

- Very hard to shift gears. Requires a big thrust from your wrists. Not necessarily a bad thing, but could definitely become a pain in the butt. Not sure, though.

- Everything is operated by a button or remote use. There's no key hole even and the e-brake is even operated by a button somewhere when parking! This is a minor detail I can deal with lol

- Low redline? Lol, joking. There really is nothing else I dislike about the car. It's great.



I didn't get a chance to test the brakes. The brakes on my car are phenomenal, probably some of the best brakes in a production car.


I didn't get a chance to test the handling at all. I have no clue how it handles. I don't track or anything YET, so it doesn't need to be superb. I expect it to handle a lot worse than my Boxster, but not so horribly that I can't rip turns a fast speeds.



At first I was thinking, "Hmmm, it doesn't feel THAT much faster than my car in low gear." My thoughts were quickly silenced when I got back into my car and tried the very same thing as I did in the 'Vette, and my car felt so damn slow. I couldn't believe how slow I felt. I realized my car is just a completely different animal.

The corvette humbled me.


I hope to own one of these babies some day soon. VROOOOOMMMM!!!!


I'm hungry for some good old American BEEF



What are your thoughts?

o yea, well its pretty much a production drag car, it hauls ass, wher the boxster has none of that, so if someone is looking to ro and rape all the ricers in something, this wold be a very good choice, and hp/$ upgrades are pretty much free compared to boxster, even thought its weird to even say that you need to upgrade a 500hp car, lol.
i had a 412hp car, and it was awesome, but i wuld slow down to a 15 to just take a turn, scary ****************, but off the line there nothing better than guttd american musle car.

glad u liked it, :cheers:

I was at the Portland car show a few weeks ago and, as always, looking for the next dream car. I sat in a corvette and it had a feel of excitement that I didn't get from anything else there. I had a '67 vette in the 70's and it was fine, but I've not been a big fan of Chevy's since then. Just sitting in the vette made me think I could try it again. From everything I've read the new vette is no slouch in the handling department either. The Consumer Reports article on dream cars gave the 911 top honors, but the vette was very close, and much cheaper.

Hi,

I think the C6 and especially the Z06 are World Class. Lots of import guys still won't give them the respect they truly deserve though...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

The C6 has so much torque it pretty much doesn't matter what gear you are in.

Anyway, the 6 speed click shifter is the bomb. I would buy that if I were in the market over rowing the gears.

Great car, great price.

Bavarian, was it a C6? Your post didn't say. I'm guessing it was from your post since C5's can be bought for next to nothing these days. I have to echo what Bruce says about the torque, it just goes no matter what gear you are in. I spent about 10hrs of seat time behind the wheel of a 05 C6 and it was fun but I'm still keeping the boxster S. I must say I liked the power though...plus it had a better shift feel than my boxster.

I've instructed in a couple of C4 Vettes over the years. Lots of Torque/Power but ****************ty brakes.

I've instructed in a few C5 vettes. Much better than the C4s. Better brakes (but still not "porsche" brakes, better handling, sterring feel and shifting.

Haven't driven a C6 Vette, or a Z06, but they can only be better overall.

One feature I truly hate on the Vettes is the 1-4 shift lock out. Unless you really mash the pedal in first, the computer makes you upshift to 4th instead of second. On the other hand, the motors have so much torque that on the street its hardly an issue, but an annoyance on the track.

For me though, they (vettes) just don't do it. Too big (wide, heavy) and none of the delicate balance and feel that my Porsches have spoiled me for. The new regular C6's have so much performance potential, that it takes a skilled driver to feel comfortable at their limits. Yes, they are faster than your Boxster and may cost about the same. Not sure they are better.. just different!

I think I like the C5 over the C6 in looks....the C6 ditched the pop up headlights and that is such a vette thing....

The C4, quite possibly the worst breaks ever!!!!

I came close to getting a yellow C5 convertible witha black top....maybe the C6 will grow on me over time....

I have never driven a C6 but I drove my cousin's C5 and compared to my Boxster it's a bomb, I like it a lot but it's not the same feel as a boxster I just feel more connected to the road in my Boxster. I read a lot of reviews about the C6 Vette and as per MNBOXSTER'S quote it doesn't get the respect it deserves. Compared to some high end european cars I think it's one hell of a bargain. :)

Actually, the C6 is not that heavy. Feels big next to a Boxster but actually quite agile.

Corvette C6 is about 200lbs more than Boxster I believe.

Sorry guys.


Yes it was a c6.


I believe 987 Boxster S brakes are slightly better than the Vette brakes, 107 ft from 60-0 as opposed to 110. Both very good.


The standard c6 uses an old fashioned leaf spring suspension, but there are 3 different suspension options, one of which is the z51 which also upgrades the brakes so I hear.


The Boxster and C6 are different animals. It certainly does not have that roadster feel to it. You know, the agility and confinement all in one.


I feel that I identify w/ both cars in a way. I enjoy massive power which, in any other car, would come at an extremely high price tag, but I love the refinement and precision of my Boxster.


To get both of these in one, I'd probably have to spend 100k+ on a European exotic.



But what if... I got a c6 and put a few thousand into suspension mods. Then a few thousand into bolt-ons and I have a Ferrari 360 at my fingertips.


I am really wanting one of these. The Boxster is a lease, so I'm stuck w/ it (not that that's a bad thing) but I am still going to buy one of these.


I'm still slightly torn between the vette and the elise. I prefer the elise but my dad and stepmother think it's too dangerous... Gotta hate parents sometimes.

stereo types
 

Corvettes would be cool if it weren't for their owners.....tis a shame. :p

- I love the crappy interior. Means the car is not weighed down by useless junk
- Bavarian Motorist
Your right it's useful junk.

Come on. Let's not generalize.


I went to the corvetteforums a lot today and they were really helpful, nice people, just like the people here are.

Porsches would be cool if it weren't for some their owners.....tis a shame.
:matchup:

As an everyday ride the boxster blows the vet out of the water. Try it for a couple of weeks.

I've spent alot of time both on the street and track in my friends C5 Z06 and I will say its a hell of a car. I've briefly driven a C6 Z06 and that thing is a monster. They're both completely different driving experiences, and I do prefer the Porsche, but for a track car, I'd be all over a Z06 with a few mods and be raping 996 Turbos and F430s, so you really cant argue with the value....

Patrick

I've spent a bit of time in C5 and C5 Z06 cars. Obviously both cars are significantly faster in a straight line than a Boxster or Boxster S.

But they will also positively rape a Boxster around an autocross course or open track. The suspension on C5s and C6s is fully adjustable front and rear for camber. They don't require a lot of static camber to handle well, because the suspension was properly designed to have an excellent camber curve (you can't say that about a Boxster). The ride height is adjustable from the factory. The cars are set up very well for track and autocross work, right out of the box. In fact, the factory goes so far as to recommend alignment settings for track, autocross, and street. Pretty cool.

The C5 is a car that initially feels very large, but its quick steering, fast responses and forgiving nature make it feel much smaller and immediately inspire confidence. Once moving quickly, they feel light, small and nimble. A C5 Z06 is only 3050lbs, pretty close to a Boxster S weight (mine is 3000lbs on the nose, 2960 with the fancy wheels). They are fantastic handling cars.

The one area where they are really lacking is in handling FEEL. Somehow Chevy hasn't found a way to acheive the wonderful steering feel and chassis feedback of a Boxster. Supposedly, the C6 was a step in the wrong direction in this regard, but again I haven't driven one.

If they can fix that for the C7 and keep the weight in check, it will be my next car. If I hadn't bought my Boxster for competition purposes, I'd own a C6.

my two cents:
apples and oranges really...
for the track I'll take a c6 or zo6 over any Porsche any day of the week.

But we don't live on the track do we?

The peformance of the car is world class as proven in Sports Car racing but the styling and wheels are still disappointing and stuck in the 90's. The performance to match any Ferrari yet it looks inferior when parked next to a F430 or 360.
The interior of the Z06 is vastly better and I actually prefer it to the newer stuff from Porsche but c6 still needs lots of work. It still screams 'rental car'. And not to mention the "gold chain" driver stigma.
Ford was able to make the Ford GT look truly exotic so it is possible in America. Can't understand why Chevy still can't get it right. I'd be pissed if I were an engineer over there. All that work to make it perform and the design guys are five steps behind.

The interior of the C6 isn't the best, but IMO it's as nice or nicer than a base 986 interior in terms of fit, finish and quality of materials. As far as stying goes, I think the C6 is positively beautiful. I don't like the fit of the headlights the best, but the rest of the look is clean and purposeful.

Of course it's not going to look as exotic as a Ford GT or a Ferrari. Would you pay $60k-$120k to upgrade your Corvette interior to that of a GT or an F430 if you still had a Corvette afterwards? $60k is about the price differential between a C6 and a GT. The Corvette is built to a price, and the money goes into the stuff that matters - the chassis and drivetrain. ;)

...and, to me, FEEL is mostly what matters when I take my Box top-down in the twisties. :)

Z.

well I was referring more to the more important exterior styling than the interior.
but...
I don't think the C6 or Z06 even looks like a $60K car let alone $120K.
To me both look like a $40K car, Tops. Its looks aren't bad but sooo bland.
The wheels look like they came out of the wheels section of the Sears Auto Store.
There is nothing on the car that would make it memorable. 100% Vanilla.

Do you know how many people have stopped me and thought my car looked like a $70K car? They couldn't believe me when I told them that you could find a very similar one for under $30K.

The styling on the C6 and ZO6 are really no different, you would have to look closely to tell them apart.

Hm. To each his own, I guess. The looks of the Boxster are probably last on the list of things I would list under "positives." On the other hand, I absolutely love the looks of the Corvette, both vanilla and Z06. Nothing more than personal preference really.

Wheels are easy to change. A nice set of CCWs would set the car off nicely. At least Chevy spent the money to equip the car with factory wheels that are strong and light - unlike Porsche, who chose to equip the Boxster with 30+lb wheels, with the exception of the lightweight 5-spokes like you have.

I love the feel of the car too, that's why I chose it over a C5 Z06 which would have been an awesome competition car as well. Excellent, just different. The Boxster is hard to beat; it has a vice-free chassis with neutral handling from the factory. Absolutely brilliant for a car with four struts. :o

Excuse my ignorance but aren't the Corvette's body panels made of plastic? I guess, that's how what looks like a large car can only weigh about 3000lbs. Looks almost like cheating. :)

Seriously, if that's true how come other sports cars haven't picked up this "secret" way of shedding weight? A plastic Boxster would come out sub 2500 lbs.

Z.

Plastic has this not-so-wonderful property of having a huge thermal coefficient of expansion. Ever notice how huge the body gaps on a 'Vette are in cold weather? Plastic also isn't very good structurally, so the Corvette has to have what amounts to a seperate body and frame. Can't be made a true unibody like a Boxster, 911, et al.

Otherwise, it's brilliant that Chevy uses plastic for the body. The aluminum suspension components are nice, too. The lightweight pushrod V8 with a low CG and compact size due to its lack of overhead camshafts, too. Oh, and the composite leaf springs that cut weight and move what weight they do contribute down low, to keep the Cg of the car low.

Regardless of the car's rather .. unpleasant image, it's a very well engineered car.

I noticed when driving the c6 that I did not really feel it when accelerating. OK, yeah, I felt the torque and power, but in my Boxster, you definitely feel it in a different way.

In the c6, it almost felt like I was in a family sedan w/ 500hp.


But the real reason I want a c6 is because of what I said earlier, that I can either buy a very powerful car and make it handle or I can buy a real handling sports car and spend.....endless amounts making it fast.

Which one seems easier to you?

I really need to drive the c6 again and check for the things I didn't notice last time. Feel and handling will be on my list.


I love my Boxster, though. The other day I was hanging w/ a girl and she knows nothing about cars, but I took her up to redline in first and she said she nearly orgasmed. :)

Porsche...making girls orgasm since 1950

many have said that the vette looks like big car, but the C6 is actually smaller than the 997 according to R & T. I assume that would make it about the size of a 986.

Are you sure? The Vette has a relatively long wheelbase of 107"

I also read the the headlights were the result of time lost during the 24 hrs of LeMans while driving with headlights. I think it was 2003. The C-5 won, but lost a lot of time due to increased drag of the flip up head lights. The race team complained, and Chevy responded.

I love the lights of the C-6. In fact, if the C-5 had the lights of the C-6, I would have bought one instead of my Boxster.

I just checked, this is what I have

C-6 L: 174.6 W: 72.6 H: 49.1 WB: 105.7


997 L: 174.3 W: 72.2 H: 51.6 WB: 92.5


Notice the length vs the wheel base. That means that the 997 has much larger overhang which is a detriment to agility

My question was really rhetorical. If other companies thought a plastic body was a good idea, they would have done it too. Personally, I prefer metal.

Z.

Your logic is sound, but I think you will find that the C6 is already a very good handling car - especially when ordered with the performance handling package.

A guy I work with sold his Ferrari 348 Challenge edition and bought a new C6 and is very happy. His only complaint is having a difficult time finding a set of slicks.

I've driven my friend's C6 (also has a Borla exhaust on it) a few times. It's a VERY different experience from my car.

Big power, but I missed revving the engine--you never need to get over 2000 RPMs in the Vette really. Hell, the thing will idle up a hill in fourth gear! :)

Hate the cheap interior and all the squeaks and rattles he's got, and the clutch took a while to get used to (and I'm pretty sure that all clutches are hydraulically-assisted these days--the C6 just has a heavier pressure plate than the Boxster probably, and for good reason). The C6 also feels a lot bigger when you're driving it, even though it's really not a big car at all.

He has a big problem with the gear box though. If he tries to shift into third gear quickly, often times the car ends up in a half-engaged state. It's a common report among C6 owners apparently.

Not the car for me, but I love the way it looks and damn, that's a fast car!

Oh, and I'm not diggin' his headless-dwarf steering wheel:

http://www.loamy.com/shared/C6Dwarf.jpg

:D But GM's already fixed that issue.

Yes, you're right. 'Handle' wasn't the right word. 'Road feel' is more like it.






That is hilarious :D




The gear problem could be the CAGS (computer aided gear selection) which forces you to go into 4th gear from first unless you're hitting the gas hard, a way to increase EPA gas mileage so as to avoid the gas guzzler tax.


It is a 20 dollar fix called a cags eliminator if he is interested. I'm pretty sure every c6 owner except him has it :D


http://www.ledfoote.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=62

Hi,

The car isn't Plastic, it's composite GRP - Glass Reinforced Plastic - a composition of materials which, when brought together under the right conditions, form a tough, lightweight, durable laminate with countless strengths.

GRP doesn't dent, corrode, rot, or support infestation and has a high strength-to-weight ratio being several times stronger than mild steel on a weight for weight basis.

It can be engineered (by layering and Glass Fibre orientation) to provide greater/lesser strength as required throughout the Body structure, unlike mild steel.

Also, because the Car doesn't have the same rigidity as Uni-Body construction, the Frame must be better engineered to provide this strength. So, it has a better Frame, lower Mass, lighter weight, and corrosion resistance (actually corrosion-free).

Lots of other cars have picked-up this secret through the years. In fact, some of the Best Performers such as Lotus, TVR, Marcos, Ferrari, McLaren, Koenigsegg, Pagani, and virtually all F1, Cart, Indy and Champ Cars of the past 40 years have used this technology to great success. Porsche too cheats with it's Urethane Bumpers and Alloy Deck Lids. The single biggest reason it is not more prevelant is cost - it is more costly (on a per unit basis) than stamping Body panels from mild steel.

No, if you're going to criticize the Corvette, Body composition and construction isn't the place to do it. It's really quite brilliant!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[QUOTE=eslai]

sweet, looks like he got the chevy blazer steering wheel package :D

yeah, not that big of a fan of the interior or lack of pop up head lights....

http://www.loamy.com/shared/C6Dwarf.jpg

Now I am really effin' kicking myself, guys.


I didn't get a 'Vette cause I wanted the convertible which is about 9k more...


Now I just found out that the coupe version has a removable roof panel standard, and you can even get that as a glass roof as a 750 dollar option.


Now I am severely depressed.


Oh well. I'll just enjoy my lovely Box for now :)

[QUOTE=super66]
gee I need some coffee, it took a whole five minutes before I figured out
that its a head, two arms a big belly and two legs.

Thx for the explanation. From the 10mins I spent googling GRP, these are the few things I learned:

1. Also called fiberglass.
2. Easy to mold into various shapes, and it is used for low volume car production when building the steel (or aluminum) stamping machines is not cost effective.
3. The most cost-effective kit-car solution.
4. Lighter and stronger than steel. I'm not a mechanical engineer but I know that there are many different strength characteristics defining materials, so the issue is never one-dimensional.
5. Now, carbon-fiber, on the other hand...

You nailed the fiberglass's "rigidity" problem vs unibody right on the head. Drive a Boxster right after driving a Corvette. It feels like it was made of one piece. Drive the Corvette again and the rattles and squeaks become even more obvious -- even in the Coupe (not even talking about the convertible). Fiberglass pieces may have advantages over equivalent steel/aluminum pieces but you cannot weld them to the rest of the car/frame.

Without question, the Corvette is a formidable performance value for $. But free lunches are very rare. Anyway, it was good to learn something about plastic composites today. :)

Z.